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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: face · press · safe · saw · bass · nail · can · club

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bass — the fish
  3. club — a group
  4. can — a tin
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. club — for dancing
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. club — for golf
  10. can — a tin
  11. saw — the tool
  12. press — newspapers
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. saw — the tool
  19. press — to push
  20. face — part of the head
  21. press — a publisher
  22. face — to confront
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. safe — a strongbox

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com